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my mama just sent me a picture of her and her mama and my aunt and they looking fly af. So yall gonna see em
my late Grandma Betty was a real one. This was her 80th.
look at Ma with the denim drip.
my late Grandma Betty was a real one. This was her 80th.
look at Ma with the denim drip.
I just sometimes need to remind yall that we got cool, regular ol’ families like everyone else, whom we care about it.
We want to come home to each other just like everybody else, too. Maybe if you see our faces when we’re happy, you’ll understand that we deserve that too.
We want to come home to each other just like everybody else, too. Maybe if you see our faces when we’re happy, you’ll understand that we deserve that too.
my grandma raised her daughters in what yall call the hood in the sixties in KCMO with a husband who was a veteran just tryna figure out who to be after the war for the rest of his life.
my mother was one. and my grandma cut me zero slack as a grandkid bc thats just what it was
my mother was one. and my grandma cut me zero slack as a grandkid bc thats just what it was
she was from Oklahoma and worked in car factories that ended up in the war effort too and eventually bought the small building she lived in after they left the house.
She carried a 44 and worked as a domestic after her main career for a state senator. You know what she did?
She carried a 44 and worked as a domestic after her main career for a state senator. You know what she did?
she ironed his shirts.
that was it. this man’s life was so incredibly structured in a specific way that it allowed him to literally hire an old black woman a state away to iron his shirts bc she was that damn good at it.
and she taught me that with a pride I cannot explain.
that was it. this man’s life was so incredibly structured in a specific way that it allowed him to literally hire an old black woman a state away to iron his shirts bc she was that damn good at it.
and she taught me that with a pride I cannot explain.
she drank beer, ate ribs, talked shit, watched TV, loved sports and was the most genuinely tough person I’d ever met.
I say all this because you have to understand where our families come from and what we do to simply survive, nevermind thrive or even try to.
I say all this because you have to understand where our families come from and what we do to simply survive, nevermind thrive or even try to.
she taught me everything she knew, and since she thought I was smart she got pissed when I forgot what she said.
And she’d come home from work when I’d visit and tell us about these white folks and whatever they were dealing with in their house, which....was standard. Clearly
And she’d come home from work when I’d visit and tell us about these white folks and whatever they were dealing with in their house, which....was standard. Clearly
she’d explain what they’d say around her and how’d they’d treat her, and you dont understand as a kid what its like to just hear how that is to just have to take it.
She was not mad about it. Its how she mad a living. It made me freaking crazy.
She was not mad about it. Its how she mad a living. It made me freaking crazy.
but again, survival is more fun than the alternative. she chose to file them away as harmless, for the purposes of simply being able to sleep at night.
but one time I rode out with my mom to pick her up. If you dont know, KCMO and KC kansas aint the same
but one time I rode out with my mom to pick her up. If you dont know, KCMO and KC kansas aint the same
so this was technically still kinda KC metro but it was way tf away from where we stayed, Paseo. Like an hour.
And it was manicured yards whatever whatever and she came out to get in the car and for whatever reason I felt the need to get out the car. I wanted them to see me
And it was manicured yards whatever whatever and she came out to get in the car and for whatever reason I felt the need to get out the car. I wanted them to see me
I wanted them to see that there are real people behind her life ironing this dude’s shirts.
You cant even imagine having to validate that basic humanity. I wasnt angry. I was happy to do it. But like, this is my grandma. In the 90s. Not a hundred years ago.
You cant even imagine having to validate that basic humanity. I wasnt angry. I was happy to do it. But like, this is my grandma. In the 90s. Not a hundred years ago.
when she got sick and Ma moved her to DC to take care of her, she was out of her element because she was so used to owning her own spaces in a real way and it was tough.
But id go visit her and she’d listen to me on the radio and brag to her friends so she was happy
But id go visit her and she’d listen to me on the radio and brag to her friends so she was happy
but whenever I’d talk to her at the home, she’d always ask me about the white people in DC. Like, genuine wonder about who I worked with and talked about.
Not bc she didnt get news. But she wanted me to tell her about them like she had told me. So I did. Always.
Not bc she didnt get news. But she wanted me to tell her about them like she had told me. So I did. Always.
I say this to make the point. We are all humans on the globe with lineages and memories that we all want to cherish and protect.
by making us prove our self worth with every interaction, you play yourself in terms of what society can be. Its as simple as that.
by making us prove our self worth with every interaction, you play yourself in terms of what society can be. Its as simple as that.
the last time I visited her we had a fried chicken date. Yes, I brought a bucket of chicken to the home for lunch, which was not allowed, but she wanted to stunt on the crew and I will always break rules for grandma
I brought the chicken and read Express to her. She loved that, knowing it was the paper I worked at.
It was an extremely sunny day in January, randomly. So we went outside. I took her out of her chair and let her sit on the bench. We ate chicken and soaked in the sun.
It was an extremely sunny day in January, randomly. So we went outside. I took her out of her chair and let her sit on the bench. We ate chicken and soaked in the sun.
she said, Clinton, I feel good. I said what you mean. She said she felt free.
And she smiled. I hadnt seen that in a while on its own. We went back insde after and she said goodbye.
She passed less than a week later. But I’m glad she got to feel free. Thats a win.
And she smiled. I hadnt seen that in a while on its own. We went back insde after and she said goodbye.
She passed less than a week later. But I’m glad she got to feel free. Thats a win.
and yes. I iron my own shirts to this day. And when I do it, I take it very seriously.
I dont know what yalls people taught yall. But my mama’s mama taught me the value of resourceful craftmanship and consistency. Bc she didnt live in a world where her brain would be respected.
I dont know what yalls people taught yall. But my mama’s mama taught me the value of resourceful craftmanship and consistency. Bc she didnt live in a world where her brain would be respected.
she got to see that eventually mine was. And that’s who I think about when I remind yall that we built this country for free.
goodnight, yall.
goodnight, yall.
